


Of Schedules and Routines

by koroshiya



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, hand holding, two gays on a date without knowing theyre on a date what will they do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25615333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koroshiya/pseuds/koroshiya
Summary: It’s a rare event for Shu Itsuki to divert from his daily routine, Mika knows that much.For ShuMika Week Day 3: Clockwork. #shmk2020
Relationships: Itsuki Shuu/Kagehira Mika
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	Of Schedules and Routines

**Author's Note:**

> This is set sometime before Human Comedy/Repayment Fes. It's as canon compliant as I can make it, but I haven't actually read too many Valk stories, so.

Shu’s daily routines run like clockwork.

Mika knows this. He’s watched Shu get up early and prepare meals for the both of them countless times, sometimes humming a song in their repertoire and sometimes not, but always with a sharp edge to his movements. Shu works fast and never wastes any time, even in the mornings when Mika himself is sluggish and struggling to keep his eyes open at the dining table. Mika thinks there’s something unfair about that.

Today too, he watches Shu crack an egg cleanly over his bowl of rice and throw away the eggshells in one fluid motion. While Shu wipes his hand against his apron, Mika reaches out and wraps his hands around the warm porcelain bowl.

Like a rehearsed routine, Shu wraps his hands around Mika’s.

Shu’s fingers are a little sticky from cooking, but as always, his palms are soft against Mika’s knuckles. When Shu moves the bowl a little closer, Mika gets a whiff of his hand cream. He knows the feel of those palms, the shape of them, and how they would always smell of fresh apples before they would even touch Mademoiselle or brush her hair each morning. Shu’s thumb taps against his forefinger, and he drags his eyes up to meet Shu’s own.

On a normal day, Shu would be looking directly at him, his gaze unwavering, even when Mika’s first instinct is always to look away or to hide his eyes behind his hair. Mika likes to think he’s improving at it, at least. He knows Shu doesn’t think about his eyes as often as Mika gets self-conscious about them, and it’s comforting, if anything.

On a normal day, Shu would say, _“Eat it all, but quickly, Kagehira. We’ve got lots to do today.”_ It would take no longer than five seconds before he lets go and moves to another task.

But Shu is different today. He’s looking down at the bowl in both of their hands as if it holds the answers to today’s problems. Mika tilts his head, counting to five, but Shu still doesn’t let go.

“Oshi-san, ‘s somethin’ wrong?” Mika says.

Shu blinks. He finally looks at Mika and lets out a low hum.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” he says, patting Mika’s hands once before moving his hands to untie his apron. “Eat before your food gets cold.”

Mika doesn’t need to be told twice. He smiles and turns his focus to the steam from his rice.

“Ya got it, Oshi-san,” he says cheerfully, “thanks for the food!”

When Shu’s hands pause a little too long at the knot on his apron, Mika doesn’t think too hard about it.

-

Their usual routine on the way home from practice is this: Shu and Mika walk alongside each other, cutting through the bustling market street, revising timing issues and throwing stage design ideas as murmurs below the noise of the crowd. Its familiarity is comforting after a long day, when Mika's muscles ache and his feet are ready for a nap of their own.

Today, as they turn the corner outside Yumenosaki on their way home, Shu asks, “Shall we take a small detour?”

Mika stops in his tracks. When Shu turns to him and his eye twitches, Mika realises that he’s probably gaping like a fish. Shu’s always been vocal about disliking the way he gapes, saying it makes him look more robotic than he already does normally. Mika has been trying to change things like that, but surely this one time can be an exception, he thinks.

“But y—” he stutters. “Oshi-san, ya got lots ta do at home, right? Ya usually read or study for like ‘n hour or three an’ that’s before takin’ a bath—”

“Don’t short-circuit your brain thinking about what I usually do,” Shu says, cutting him off. “Kagehira, I would like to go on a detour on the way home. If you have plans for tonight and would rather head straight home however, you should tell me so.”

“Nnh,” Mika mumbles. He fiddles with the bag strap on his shoulder, feeling familiarity in the rough bumps of the fabric. “I don’t have plans. Where’d ya wanna go?”

Shu doesn’t reply immediately. The way those violet eyes scrutinize Mika’s face makes him avert his gaze. When he looks down, Shu holds out his hand.

“I’ll treat you for today,” Shu says softly, “if you’ll let me.”

Mika doesn’t think twice. He steps forward and he lets Shu hold his hand, their fingers intertwined.

-

Shu leads them to a small crepe stall, positioned at the corner of the park a block away from the market street. Mika’s always known their menu to be extensive, but when Shu tells him to choose anything he likes, it feels infinitely more so.

He chooses a traditional strawberry and chocolate crepe, after asking Shu a dozen times if it’s really okay. Shu eyes the item on the menu, and Mika avoids meeting his eyes, hoping Shu doesn’t notice that he’s picked one of the cheaper options again.

It doesn’t matter much, in the end, when he bites into it and the cream melts into a sweet cloud in his mouth. He lets out a satisfied hum.

“Oshi-san, d’ya wanna bite?” he asks, offering the crepe to Shu once they’ve sat down at a bench. Shu looks at him and starts to respond, but he cuts himself off in favor of clicking his tongue. He reaches into his pocket and brings out his handkerchief.

“Really, you are just—” Shu pauses as he wipes cream off Mika’s cheek, with more force than how Arashi does it from time to time. “—sometimes just like a child. Didn’t anyone teach you to eat more cleanly?”

“Ya did, Oshi-san,” Mika says. “Y’ always remind me ‘bout my table manners an’ stuff. Guess ‘m just not all that good at rememberin’ it.”

“I suppose I’m not a very good teacher, then,” Shu mutters. He folds his handkerchief and leans back – Mika hadn’t even noticed him leaning in. “That aside, it’s all yours, Kagehira.”

Mika hums. He takes another bite. “Yer bein’ weird today, Oshi-san.”

Shu doesn’t reply, but he hasn’t looked away, so Mika takes it as a cue to continue.

“Ya never let me eat crepes,” he says. “That’s just the first thing. Goin’ to this park here when ya could be sewin’ or relaxin’ at home with Mado-nee, as well. An’ this mornin’ ya were really out of it. Ya didn’t tell me to eat quickly like usual.”

“Kagehira,” Shu says, sighing. He looks down at his hands, now clasped together in his lap. “You pay far too much attention to what I’m doing at any point in time.”

“Nnah, it’s ‘cuz everythin’ looks real pretty whenever ya do it,” Mika blurts out. “Like ya run on yer own schedule an’ stuff. Got the timing down pat an’ all.”

“Timing? Have you been _timing_ me?” Shu asks, his tone laced with surprise. Mika tightens his grip on his crepe.

“I—I haven’t been—I just notice when ya give me rice in the mornin’ I can always count to five before ya move on to another thing and—” he fumbles for his words and finally hides his face behind the crepe. “Nnaah, now I’m the weird one, ’m sorry!”

There’s a moment where neither of them speaks, and all Mika can hear is the buzz of people walking and children shouting with glee. If only anyone had a time machine so he can press undo on everything he’d said.

Shu lets out a small, breathy laugh. Mika peeks out from behind his crepe, and Shu is looking at him oddly with an expression he can’t quite place – he doesn’t recognize it on that face, with those features.

“You never fail to amaze,” Shu says. “I’m aware I have my routines. I’m not so pedantic as to count how many seconds I spend on each small movement, but I hadn’t expected you to pay that much attention, especially when I haven’t asked you to do so. You…”

The expression on Shu’s face changes to one that Mika recognizes, but it’s one he’s rarely seen, the number of times countable with one hand.

“I appreciate you catering to my whims,” Shu says, turning to cough and will away the flush tinting his cheeks. “It’s as good a time as any for a change of pace.”

Mika can feel the warmth spreading across his cheeks as well, and he chomps on a large strawberry to cool himself down.

“I’m Oshi-san’s doll, of course ya can bend me to yer whims or whatever,” he says. He can feel the smile plastered on his face, and he knows he probably looks weird, smiling at the crepe in his hands, but he can’t quite stop. “’S long as you’re havin’ a good time, then I’m havin’ a good time, too.”

Shu looks at him then, quiet and seemingly deep in thought. Mika takes another bite of the crepe. From the corner of his eye, he sees Shu hold his hand out with his palm open.

Some things don’t need to change, Mika thinks, and some things he doesn’t want to change.

Like a rehearsed routine, he places his own hand over Shu’s, lacing their fingers together.

**Author's Note:**

> haha wow look at me writing for the first time in forever! sorry the prompt was very loosely used. thanks heaps to cali for supporting and giving advice as the resident mikaP.
> 
> go support ShuMika Week on twitter (#shmk2020) go!!


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